An Abundant Life - Daily Specials

When I was in Niantic with some friends a few weeks ago, one of the many nice surprises to find there was a restaurant that had a menu that was so full of special selections every day that it made every day feel special. When I first sat down to have a meal at the Black Sheep at the recommendation of the Inn where I was staying, I was impressed by the sound of things I was reading and became a fan as soon as the first flavors started arriving at the table. The cocktails were inventive and lovely and delicious, the variety of foods well thought out, creative and blended perfectly with each other. The first night I was there, after having a martini, I decided to have a Guinness because I saw one arriving at another table and though it has been a favorite for many years I hadn't had one in a while. When I returned on another night I looked over the beer selection and saw that they had some impressive choices, and I went on an adventure of tasting some of the most flavorful and freshest brews from their carefully curated list.

Great clam chowder is one of the things I always use to decide on whether I would recommend or return to a restaurant and this one makes a fine one. The Bacon Lobster Avocado and Tomato sandwich was a deliciously welcome surprise and the Lobster Truffle Mac and Cheese was something so enjoyable that my friends and I ordered both time we were there. With large chunks of lobster and a very flavorful mac and cheese it was comfort food and an epicurean delight. Our first night we sat indoors because it was later in the evening when we arrived and the nights were still chilly, and on the second night we arrived earlier and sat outdoors. Both times we felt well taken care of and so comfortable, that I really felt like I could make this a regular place if I lived closer by. It was such a great find and a place I'll definitely want to return to whenever I'm passing by that way again.  

The Black Sheep

247 Main Street

Niantic, Connecticut

http://theblacksheepniantic.com/

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Art Collections

I met Katie Duffy McGeehan a few years ago when I was giving a talk at the Hoboken Collaborative Art  Gallery HoBart on social media marketing and using social media for business in the Art world. We kept in touch and then a little while later I ran into her in Hoboken at an opening that Ricardo Roig had in his gallery on 1st Street. He had some of her sculptures in the windows and when he and I were talking and I stopped by I recognized them immediately because of the very specific feeling and vision she has that created these small masterpieces. I have a feeling whenever I see Artists' work, whether or not it is unique to them or something that they are trying to emulate or copy another Artist. Not that it's a bad thing to admire and emulate, but I always enjoy most of all the artwork that I see that is a unique and very personal expression. I loved these small sculptural pieces of Katie's and I loved seeing them in Ricardo's window, and then a little while later I saw that she had some paintings in a vintage shop a few doors away and I went to her opening there.

Katie is such a lovely person that it's fun just to be around her. When you add her artwork into the mix it becomes a very special kind of party. After seeing some of her smaller watercolor pieces at the vintage shop Vintage on First, I stopped by a street fair on First Street one day and saw a larger one on an easel outside. I feel in love with it immediately and it was such a very special piece that I carried it home that day to add to my own personal collection. I work with so many Artists and I love so much work that I see, but this piece was one of those rare ones that I knew I had to have. Since that time I've seen several that she had created in this same series, but this one spoke to me so clearly that day and continues to delight me every day after.

It's so exciting to watch the work of an Artist over time, and seeing the work of Kate Duffy McGeehan since I first met her until now has been a wonderful adventure. I look forward to seeing what she will create next and am inspired by the changing vision that she shares.

Kate Duffy McGeehan

On First Street

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Ancient Treasures

When I was in Niantic, Connecticut a few weeks ago for a business trip, I stayed an extra day to explore with one of the friends who drove me up there. Her husband needed to work while we were on the trip, and when I asked the hotel where we were staying if he could continue to use an area with WiFi after we checked out they had been kind enough to oblige us, and while he continued on his work day his wife and I went exploring in town. We had planned to eat ice cream all day because there were several homemade ice cream places, but most of them were closed either for the season or just for the day, so we stopped into one that was open and went shopping in the antique stores and boutiques for the rest of the afternoon. It was a beautiful day, with really perfect weather for a stroll around, and when we walked into C.E.L. Fine Collectibles we knew we'd found something extra special.

Niantic is a wonderful place to visit, and C.E.L. Fine Collectibles is one of the reasons why. The owner is so knowledgeable and friendly, and his store is filled with rare pieces that have so much history and beauty that it feels like being in a very special kind of museum. One of the first things I saw when we walked in was a Paleolithic Arrowhead from the time period 2.5-11,600 BC that was marked as having its origin in the Saharan Desert. Described as an Ancient Artifact Custom Jewelry, it had been made into a lovely necklace with amber colored crystaline beads and thin copper wire carefully wrapped around the arrowhead just enough to secure it artfully without hiding its shape and the fine craftmanship that had gone into creating the arrowhead all those thousands of years ago. It's in many ways difficult to even think that this piece has lasted all these years and that I can wear it as a necklace, and such a wonderful experience to find it in that lovely shop.

After having such a beautiful time in this lovely town I'm sure I'll be back again, and C.E.L. Fine Collectibles will be one place I'll look forward to visiting again.

An Ancient Artifact

From C.E.L. Fine Collectibles

Niantic, Connecticut

Blessings,

Jannie Susan

An Abundant Life - Light In The Darkness

I've written about the beautiful Artist Sandra DeSando in the pages before, and when I heard she was having a solo show and began to read about it, I knew I needed to write more about her and this new project and the extraordinary work she does. Originally she had planned to have some earlier pieces be a part of this show, but then as she began to work on the concept of the installation she decided to create work that was completely new. Titled "Puzzlement", this new show contains work that is a reflection of her experiences during this past year, the emotional shock and fear and trauma of what was happening in the world around her seen through the lens of an Artist who was trying to make sense of it all as life unfolded and the world as we knew it was suddenly collapsing all around us.

The pieces in this new show are powerful as her work always is. Multi-paneled paintings that work together beautifully while standing apart and at a distance to tell their stories, much as we have all felt and maintained a distance from so many of the people in our lives who we at one time would have found ourselves in close proximity to. These piece are her exploration of her own experiences, and they also reflect the elements of the natural world and philosophical musings and questions that are part of the Artists consciousness.

Sandra DeSando's work is always extraordinarily beautiful, with motion and lines and colors that emerge from her own understanding of the space on the canvas and how it speaks to and through her. This solo show is a part of the outreach of her own unique creative expression and the contemplation of larger world themes as well as more personal ones. It's inspiring to see this work and to read about the emotions and questions and inner musings that arose during the dark and confusing days of this past year and the way that the Artist's vision has brought this work into the light.

Sandra DeSando

At Dvora Gallery

A Pop Up Exhibition

From The Drawing Rooms

Victory Hall

The Oakman Residences

60 First Street

Jersey City, New Jersey

Blessings,

Jannie Susan